Cautery electrode for desiccation surgery



June 18,1929. F. H. WAPPLER GAUTERY ELECTRODE FOR DESICCATION SURGERY Filed May 25 1925 3 En H T INVENTOR ssssimmwmama fl V M a /Mum ATTORNEY Patented June I 18, 1929.

UNITED STATES FREDERICK H.

PATENT OFFICE.

WAPPLER, or FLUSHING, NEW'YORK, ASSIGN'OR To WAPPLER ELEC- rarc COMPANY, me, A CORPORATIONDF NEW YORK.

CAUTERY ELECTRODE FOR DESIGCATION SURGERY.

7 Application filed May 26, 1925. Serial No. 32,871

invention relates to cautery electrodes for desiccation surgery; that is, to electrodes of the type in which a needle or analogous member made of metal or other conducting material is used in connection with the application of electric currents and especially high tension oscillating currents as employed in surgical desiccation.

More particularly stated, I seek to produce a cautery electrode of this type, in which provision is made for adjusting the available length of the operating needle or analogous member and in which provision is made for protecting the operator from danger due to the high tension currents. I

My invention further contemplates improvements in the manner of insulating the operating needle, and in preventing the currents employed from setting up undesirable chemical decompositions in the insulating material employed, while the device is in operation.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of my specification and in which like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section through my device.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same, showing a small portion as broken away.

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4.l of Figure 1, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section showing certain parts as occupying positions of adjustment different from those they occupy in F igures land 2.

A handle section 6, made of insulating mater-ial andhaving a general tubular form, is provided at one of its ends with a frustoconical surface 7 Another handle section 8 also madeof insulating material has a general tubular form and at one of its ends is fitted into the frusto-conical surface 7, so that the handle sections 6 and 8 hold together and may in practice be used as a single handle.

The handle section 8 carries a contact plug 9, of the form indicated more particularly in Figure 3, this contact plug being provided with a central opening 10, as may be understood'fromFigure 1.

Detachably fitting into the contact plug 9 is a contact pin 11, forming a part of a contact plug 12, the latter being carried by a conducting cord 13.

Engaging the contact plug 9 and extending axially through the handle section8 is a me tallic rod 14. The handle section 8 is provided with a portion 15. Formed into a socket, and fitting detachably int-o this'socket is a screw plug 16 which engages the rod 14. The screw plug 16 is provided with a portion 17 of reduced diameter, having the form of a solid cylinder. Fitted over this cylinder is a tube 18 of insulating material, provided at its outer or free end with a frusto-conical portion 19. A handle section, 20, made of insulating material and having a generaltubularform, is fitted tightly over the, tube 18 and is of convenient size to be grasped by the fingers. The screw plug 16 holds together the handle secdle sections 8 and 20 so that they may be handled as a unit.

Fitting snugly into the tube 18 is a sleeve 21, made in this instance of quartz. This sleeve is adjustable relatively to the tube 18, and fits the latter so neatly as not to be readilydisplaced, relatively to the tube 18, except when the operator grasps thesleeve 21 and purposely moves it relatively to the tube 18. The sleeve 21 is provided with an end portion 21 ofsub stantially frusto-conical form.

Theoperating needle appears at 23 and is secured firmly to the cylindrical port-ion 17 of the screw plug 16. The needle 23 is provided with a tapering portion 24 and thus rendered sharp.

It will be noted that there is a continuous metallic connection through the tip 11, the

contact plug 9, the rod 14 and the screw plug 16 to theneedle 23. Thus electric currents can be sent from the cord 13 through the apparatus through the tip 24 of the operating needle 23. I V

The operation of my device is as follows:

The several parts being formed and assembled as shown, the operator turns on the current in the manner well known in this art, and grasping the handle so manipulates the instrumentso as to cause the needle 23 to man bodyto be operated upon. The electric currents, preferably high tension oscillating currents, pass from the conducting cord13 along the metallic path coinciding with the come into contact Withthe portion of the huproperly directed or controlled, and particu :23 and body of the patient, in the manner well understood.

The operator by adjusting thesleeve 21 as above described can virtually vary the length of the protruding or exposed portion of the needle. He thus virtually lengthens and shortens the needle, being thereby enabled to control the nature and character of the cutproduced, and also its magnitude.

' It .is a fact not generally known that high tension oscillating currents, of the kind best suitable for desiccation surgery, are liable to producemany varieties of nondescript chemical decompositions,when the currents are not larly when the insulation around the operating needle is not of the best. Besides this, if any organic material be used as the material of a sleeve through which the operating needle extends, such insulating material is likely to be acted upon chemically under the action of the high tension currents employed inpractice. For instance, if the sleeve 21 were made of hard rubber it would inpracice undergo chemical decomposition under action of the high tension currents. lhe result of such chemical decomposition is not the more damage. to the sleeve, but there is grave danger of contaminating a wound with the products of the decomposition, and of injllllllg the operator.

lhave made the discovery that in order to prevent chemical decomposition of the material of the sleeve, the number of substances *which may be successfullyemployed as the material of the sleeve is relatively very small. Quartz and other silicates are ideal for the purpose, and there are certain kinds of specially made glass which may be employed in this relation. However, it is never desirable to use organic material of any kind forthe purpose.

I find that in order to provide a good holder,

"for the operating needle, it is desirable to employ a number of separate handle sections, asabove described,-and to connect these handle sections together'so as to form a composite handle made up of several distinct units. By this arrangement the operator can grasp the handle and manipulate the same to advantage, yet without exposing himself to danger of shock from the high tension currents used. g I

In other words, he can operate without bringing his hand into close proximity to any conducting member energized by the high tension currents. v

I do not limit myself to the precise mechanism shown, as variationsmay be made therein Withoutdeparting -rom my invention, the scope of which is commensurate with my claims. g

Having thus describedmy invent-ion, what same, to alloW said needle to protrudefrom,

said sleeve. p

2.111 a device of the character described the combination of a handle member having the form of a tubular member, an electrically energized needle extending through said handle member, a sleeve-of insulating material fitting over said needle and adjustable relatively to said handle member for the pure pose of controlling the length of said needle protruding through said sleeve, and electrical connections for energizing said operating needle. g

3. A device of thecharacter described comprising a handle member including a tube of insulating material, an operating needle housed withinsaid tube of insulating material, connections for electrically energiz; ing said operating needle,-and asleeve of insulating material detachably mounted upon said tube and adjustable by hand relatively thereto, said sleeve of insulating materialitting over said operating needle andshorter than the same, to allow said needle to protrude from the said sleeve. V

l. In a device of the character described the combination of a tubular handle member of insulating material, a sleeve of insulating material extending vthrough said .handle member, an operating needle extending through said sleeve and having an exposed portion protruding therefrom, connections for supplying electric current to said needle, and means'controllable by the operator for varying the extent to whichsaid protruding portion of said needle'is insulated. v

5. A device of the character described comprising an operating needle, electrical connections for energizing the same by means of electric currents, a sleeve of "quartz fitting over said needle, and means controllable .by

the operator for holding said sleeve of in sulating material in different positions relative to said needle. Y a 6. A device of the character described comprising a handle member of. insulating material, an operating needle protruding therefrom, electrical connections for energizing said needle, and a sleeve-of quartz fitting over a portion of said needle in order to insulate said portion. I i

7. A device of the characterdescribed comprising a handle member made of insulating material and having a substantially tubular form, and an operating needle extending axially through said handle member and protruding therefrom, electrical connections for energizing said operating needle, and a sleeve of quartz fitted over a portion of said needle Signed at Long Island City, in the county of Queens and State of New York, this 14th day of April, 1925.

EDERICK H. WAPPLER, 

